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For many travellers, the worst part of flying into Australia is filling out that annoying little orange slip. But gone are the days of scrambling through your carry-on for a ballpoint or awkwardly asking your seat neighbour to borrow theirs.
A new digital passenger card is set to roll out across the country over the next 12 to 18 months. It will be a seamless, paperless alternative for millions of residents and international travellers arriving at airports or seaports around Australia.
The nationwide rollout follows a successful pilot program that’s been running on select Qantas flights landing in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne since October 2024. The new digital system allows passengers to fill out their arrival details and customs declarations via the Qantas app up to three days before departure. The app then generates a digital pass with a unique QR code, ready to be scanned by Australian Border Force officers upon arrival.
Following the pilot’s success, the digital rollout will expand to Perth and Adelaide before the end of the year. From there, it will be introduced at all remaining Australian international airports and seaports over the next 12 to 18 months.
Funded by a $56.1 million investment, the arrival declaration will initially launch as a web-based form. However, the plan is to eventually integrate it directly into airline apps – just like the current Qantas trial. And don’t worry – if your phone dies mid-flight, traditional paper forms will still be available as a backup.